Pickleball tourney raises funds for PD

RIDGELAND- A pickleball tournament with 150 players organized locally and held in Ridgeland earlier this month raised $2,500 for the Ridgeland Police Department, tournament organizers said.

Darryl Breland, tournament director with the Pickle Pals of Caroline, said they held their annual Spring Fling Pickleball Tournament, at the Ridgeland Tennis Center over the weekend of March 9.

“It was a wonderful event and something we do annually,” Breland said.

The club was founded in Lake Caroline but quickly outgrew courts out there for their annual tournament. This is their third tournament and their second in Ridgeland.

This year’s competition featured 150 contestants from the local community as well as some out-of-town guests who traveled from as far as Nashville to compete.

The tournament raised $2,500 dollars for the Ridgeland Police Department’s K-9 unit.

“Through their passion for pickleball and their commitment to community welfare,” Breland said. “The Pickle Pals of Caroline have once again demonstrated the profound impact sports can have in supporting charitable causes and fostering local camaraderie.”

Ridgeland Police Chief Brian Myers said the donation will go towards the purchase of a heat guard and door popper for the department’s new K9 vehicle. 

“The heat guard warns our K9 Officer if his vehicle were to cut off while the dog is in the vehicle unattended,” Myers said. “We want to make sure our canine has a safe, cool environment at all times. The door popper is a remote on the K9 Officer’s duty belt that will open the door and allow the dog to react if the Officer is struggling with a suspect outside the vehicle.”

Breland said the Pickle Pals are already planning for another tournament next year in early March.